Card case



March 28, 1939. J BRUNETT| 2,152,174

CARD CASE Filed Dec. 21, 1937 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD CASE Joseph Brunetti, Carlstadt, N. J.

Application December 21, 1937, Serial No. 180,943

18 Claims.

This invention relates to devices such as card cases of the type adapted for the convenient storage and ejection of business cards and the like.

One object of the invention is to furnish a device of the character described which is neat appearing, as it is free of any slots for ejection of cards, and which operates in a novel, attractive manner, as by slight opening of a hinged self closing cover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature set forth having a container and cover in improved association with each other for resilient closing action from a partially open card ejecting position, and for fully open released position for convenient loading of cards into the container, whereby a single cover can be used for the combined purposes, and with the cover aiding in rigidly holdin a card in partially projected position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned in which a card container and hinged cover cooperate in closing position at an obtuse angle so that the cover moves through a small angle to partially open for ejection of a card.

Another object of the invention is to construct a device of the class alluded to wherein a card pack is retained away from the openable cover by a means which is laterally movable for reloading of the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card case in which a card feeding spring engages the case cover for closing, or preferably releasable closing movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card case wherein the internal parts are secured in operative position by assembling sections of the case to facilitate the assembling of the mechanism and the making of the case.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a card case having relatively few and simple parts, and which is so inexpensive to manufacture that it can be used in the premium field, and which includes few and simple parts, is highly compact, simple and convenient in operation, neat in appearance, durable, reliable and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages-of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds. 9

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiment, pointed out'in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the anneiied drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective isometric view of a card case embodying the invention, with a card projected and rigidly held for removal by the person to whom the card is offered.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the device in position for reloading with a card pack.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, with the adjoining container section shown in dot-dash lines. q

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It'will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different co-nstructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I denotes a device such as a case embodying the invention. The same may include a container ll of any suitable size or shape and being preferably of flat rectangular form, open at one end I2 and being otherwise closed. The opening I2 is formed along a plane which is at an obtuse angle to the plane of the container, and a cover I3 is movably associated in any suitable manner with the container to close said opening, preferably by being hingedly mounted at l4. As shown in Fig. 1, the uppermost card I of a pack of cards l6 within the container is in process of being removed from the container, and is here shown partially projected therefrom. This outward movement of the card i5 causes partial opening of the cover I3, the latter resiliently bearing laterally against the underside of the card to rigidly hold the same for slidable manual removal when the extended end of the card is grasped by a person to whom the card is offered. By reason of the obtuse angle of the opening l2 and the corresponding disposition of the cover l3,

the latter moves through a very small angle to assume the operative relationship shown in Fig. 1, and with the cover neatly concealing the interior of the container. It will be appreciated that within the scope of the invention, the opening I2 may be otherwise arranged and the cover !3 may be differently mounted for the required motion. As hereinafter described, it is desirable that the cover I3 shall have three different positions, namely, the full closed position and also the partially open position referred to, as Well as the full open position shown in Fig. 3, to permit easy loading of a pack of cards into the container, whereby a single cover is available for an ejection of a card and for reloading, and without the formation of slots which in their exposed condition detract from the appearance of devices of this kind.

The container Il may be made of metal, composition or other material. For inexpensive manufacture, the container II is preferably molded of composition material, in upper and lower secof recesses 2I may be provided in opposed aligned relationship to each other, and a second pair of similar recesses 22 of greater length than the recesses 2I, may be similarly formed as sliding guideways which terminate in spaced relation to the recesses 2!. The companion container section I! is formed with thickened side walls 23 such as those at 20, and when these side walls are cemented together, as shown in Fig. 6, the recesses 2I and 22 open inward only, and are otherwise closed.

Mounted within the container I I is any suitable ejector means which may comprise an ejector member 24. The latter may be of T-shape having its oppositely extending arms 25 slidingly received at their ends in the recesses 22. In order to conserve space, the arms 25 are bent into channel form, the flanges 23 having outward extending lips 21 which engage in the recesses 22. The end portion 28 of the ejector member is slightly flanged at its end at 29, this flange being only sufficient in height for edgewise engagement of one card such as I5. For manual actuation, the

ejector 24 is provided with a finger piece portion 33 which projects outward through a slot 3I in the section IT. The ejector means also includes afeed member such as a spring element 32 which serves to support and feed the pack of cards I6 toward the ejector member 24. The spring element 32 may consist of sheet metal provided with opposed arms 33 which for compactness of space are bent into the channel formation with the flanges 34 formed with outward extending marginal lips 35 that are received and locked in the recesses 2I. This spring element may centrally extend in opposite directions from the arms 33, being provided with a bowed spring portion 36 which projects toward the ejector member 24 in alignment with the part 28 thereof, and which holds the inner end of the card pack I5 snugly against the ejector member so that the flange 29 thereof will reliably engage the uppermost card of the pack I6. Preferably the spring element may also have a portion 3! bowed toward the upper container section I! and extending toward the opening I2 of the container, whereby the card pack I6 is also supported at its forward end.

For reasons hereinafter explained, the spring portion 31 may terminate in a rather sharply curved section 38 which may perform one or both of the functions of serving to inwardly retain the card pack against accidental projection from the container toward the cover I3, and for the purpose of camming engagement in a resilient manner with the cover I3 to automatically hold the same closed. It will now be seen that both of the members 24 and 32 lie substantially fiat and snug against the interior surfaces of their corresponding container sections I! and I8 so as to have available a maximum space therebetween for the reception of a large number of cards. While these members 24 and 32 may be diiferently operatively mounted in the container, the arrangement shown permits them to be placed between the container sections I! and I8 when the device In is being assembled, and it is thereafter merely necessary to connect together the container sections in some suitable manner to effect the mounting of the ejector mechanism. Moreover, with 7 this mounting arrangement, not only is considerable time and labor saved, but the interior of the container is free of any projecting guides which tend to reduce the available card space within the container, and hence with the present invention, the card case may be made considerably more thin if desired than heretofore.

The cover I3 is engaged by any suitable means, such as a resilient device which tends to automatically close the cover as soon as the card I5, shown in Fig. 1, has been withdrawn from the card case. For simplicity of construction, the cover may for this purpose engage the spring element 32 as, for example, at the portion 3'! thereof. It will ordinarily suffice that the resilient action shall operate from the partially open position of the cover l3 shown in Fig. 1, and it may in a certain sense, be considered immaterial whether the resilient action be available in part or not at all when the cover I3 is entirely open. A simplified and compact construction herein provided permits the cover I3 to be released of the spring action when the same is fully open,

and may be embodied, for example, in an inwardly projecting lug 39 centrally secured to the cover I3 in spaced relation, but in relative proximity to the hinge I4, so that this lug entirely releases the spring section 31 when the cover is fully open as shown in Fig. 3. Now the container may be conveniently loaded with a card pack I6 by merely pressing downward the spring portion 31 so as not to obstruct the entrance of the pack. ,After the pack has been fully inserted into the container, the cover I3 may be moved to closed position whereupon the lug 39 automatically enters and wipes against the cam portion 38 of the spring section 31 so that the latter now bears downwardly upon the lug 39, causing resilient closing of the cover I3.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the relatively sharp curved portion 38 acts as a retainer to prevent the card pack from being pushed forward against the cover in the partially open position thereof, by frictional contact with a card that is being ejected. This prevents the card pack from acting as an obstruction against complete closing of the cover I3 after the projected card has been removed. Desirably, the lug 39 may act as an auxiliary support for the spring section 3'! byupwardly pressing thereon so that the tip of the retainer portion 38 affords only sufficient clearance with the adjacent wall to permit only one card l5 to slip through and pass out of the container.

It will be observed that the invention provides a corelation of'parts wherein the recipro'cable ejector member 32 acts to partially open the cover I 3 in a suitable manner, for example, through the intermediate action of a card l5. Since the ejector member and the card that is being ejected are in substantial alignment with the leading edge of the cover l3, such card exerts direct edgewise pressure against the cover I3 to cause the partial opening thereof. The extent to which the cover i3 opens is of course determined by the thickness of the card as well as by the angle of the opening l2. It will be understood that the term card as used herein applies to any other similar article.

I claim:

' 1. A card case including a card container, a swingable cover therefor, a card ejector in the container, spring means for maintaining a pack of cards in engagement with the ejector, the cover coacting with the ejector so that a card that is being ejected presses against and causes opening movement of the cover, and means releasably engaging the cover with the spring meanswhereby said spring means tends to keep the cover closed, with the cover being fully openable without restriction by the spring means for reloading the container.

2. A card case wherein a single movable cover is openable partially and fully for the respective ejection of cards and reloading of the case, comprising a card container, a cover hingedly mounted at one edge thereon, resilient means engaging the cover to tend to close the same, said means releasing the cover upon full opening movement thereof and maintaining engagement with the cover upon partial opening movement thereof, and card ejection means mounted on the container for the individual ejection of cards, said ejection means acting to press a card edgewise against the free edge portion of the cover to partially open the same for the discharge of a card.

3. A card case including a fiat container having anopen end, a cover for said opening swingably mounted at one edge on the container for resilient closing movement, the adjacent mounting edge of the container being cut away so that in its closed position the cover forms an obtuse angle with the container, and means in the container for the individual ejection of cards therefrom, including an ejector alined with the free edge portion of the cover and serving to eject a card in parallel relation to the container and edgewise against said free edge portion of the cover to partially open the cover.

4. A card case including a flat card container open at one end and otherwise closed, a cover for said open end movable to different positions for partially and fully opening the container, and projectible means to cause ejection of one card at a time and simultaneous partial opening of the cover so that the cover forms a narrow slot with an adjacent edge of the case for the ejection of a card, and resilient means engaged with the cover to tend to close the same in the partially open position of the cover, said resilient means coacting with the cover in course of movement thereof to full open position to permit the cover to remain full open without being caused to close cover for said open end movable to closed, partially open and fully open position, projectible means to cause partial ejection of a selected one of a pack of cards in the case along one wall thereof and to cause partial opening of the cover to form a card ejection slot opening along said wall, said cover in the partially open position bearing against the card as partially projected to hold the card rigid for manual removal and to maintain the said section of the container substantially closed,

6. A card case including a card container open at one end, means to cause ejection of the uppermost one of a pack of cards in the container, said means being spaced from said open end, and means to resiliently press the pack of cards against the first mentioned means, including a portion to resiliently confine the pack of cards in the case at said open end to permit projection of the uppermost card under the positive force of the first mentioned means.

7. A card case including a container open at one end, a cover for said end movable to closed, partially open and full open positions, means to cause ejection of the uppermost one of a pack of cards in the container, so that the card that is being ejected presses endwise against the cover to open the same, and resilient means for closing the cover so that the cover forms a narrow slot opening with the container for ejection of the card, said resilient means being engaged with the cover so as to be releasable therefrom on opening the cover fully whereby the container can be readily reloaded.

8. A card case including a container having an being ejected, to thus prevent outward move- I ment of the card pack in the partially open position of the cover, said resilient means being defiectible in the full open position of the cover for unobstructed insertion of a pack of cards into the container.

9. A card case including a container having an open end, a swingable cover for said open end, means in the container for ejecting an uppermost one of a pack of cards from the container, with the cover opening up for ejection of said card, and movable means engaging an end of the card pack adjacent to the container opening for preventing outward movement of the card pack, said movable means being adapted for movement toward a side of the container opening for unob structed reloading of the container.

10. A card case including a container open at one end, a reciprocable card ejector at a first side wall of the container, a spring extending along the opposite second side wall of the container for pressing a pack of cards flatwise toward the ejector, a cover for said open end pivotally mounted on the said second wall, said cover having an inward extending portion adjacent to its pivotal axis, said spring having a section projecting toward said opening and toward the first wall to retain the card pack in the container and to permit said cover portion to ride in under said section into engagement therewith on closing the cover, whereby said spring resiliently closes the cover, said cover portion releasing said spring section on fully opening the cover.

11. A card case including a container having ejector member and an end opening, a spring at a wall of the container for feeding a pack of cards toward the ejector member and having a section at said opening, a cover hinged on said wall for controlling said end opening, said cover being engaged by said spring section so that the latter moves the cover from partially open to closed position.

12. A card case including a flat container consisting of a plurality of sections interconnected along the plane thereof, said sections providing recesses along the lines of interconnection, said recesses opening inwardly and being otherwise closed by interconnection of the sections, a reciprocable central card ejector member having extensions extending into and slidingly guided in certain of said recesses.

13. A card case including a fiat container consisting of a plurality of sections interconnected along the plane thereof, said sections providing recesses along the lines of interconnection, said recesses opening inwardly and being otherwise closed by interconnection of the sections, a reciprocable central card ejector member having extensions extending into and slidingly guided in certain of said recesses, and a spring for feeding the cards toward the ejector, said spring having a channel-like portion having flanges provided with outward extending lips secured in others of said recesses, whereby the spring and ejector member are secured by assembling the container sections.

14. A card case including a container open at one end, a cover for said end movable to closed, partially open and full open positions, means to cause ejection of the uppermost one of a pack of cards in the container, with the cover being partially opened to permit ejection of the card, and cover control means including resilient means for closing the cover in the partially open position thereof so that the cover forms a narrow slot opening with the container for ejection of the card, said cover control means causing the cover to remain full open when the cover is moved to full open position, said resilient means including a portion to press said pack of cards toward the ejecting means.

15. A card case, including a card. container, a swingable cover therefor, a card ejector in the container, spring means for maintaining a pack of cards in engagement with the ejector, said cover being openable upon ejection of a card,

and said resilient means having a portion engaged with the cover to tend to normally close the same.

16. A card case, including a card container, a swingable cover therefor, a card ejector in the container, spring means for maintaining a pack of cards in engagement with the ejector, said cover being openable upon ejection of a card, and said resilient means having a portion engaged with the cover to tend to normally close 1 the same, and said portion being adapted to engage an end of the card pack at an open end of the container to retain the card pack in the container.

17. A card case, including a card container, a swingable cover therefor, a card ejecting means in the container, the cover being openable upon ejection of a card, and a single resilient means normally engaging the cover to close the same, said resilient means having endwise engagement with the card pack to prevent movement of the latter as a whole from the container.

18. A card case including a container for a card pack open at one end, a hinged cover for said end, an ejecting means for the cards in the container, said cover opening on ejection of a card and being normally resiliently closed, and resilient means engaging an end of the card pack adjacent to said cover to prevent the card pack as a whole from being ejected by the ejecting means, said resilient means being adapted to be laterally movable for the insertion of a card pack into the container through said open end thereof.

JOSEPH BRUNETTI. 

